Gov. Barbour: GOP Presidential Candidate May Be An Unknown Coming From Nowheresville

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by Matt Schneider | 6:20 pm, June 5th, 2011

» 21 comments

Governor Haley Barbour may not be running for President, but that didn’t stop him from speaking to Bob Schieffer earlier today about presidential politics, and most specifically, issuing a warning to his party not to prioritize purity over party unity.

Schieffer confronted Barbour with poll results suggesting many Republican primary voters are disappointed with the current field of potential Republican candidates. Barbour was quick to defend them, while also remaining hopeful that more candidates might be on their way:

“The fact of the matter is, this field includes people who have been very successful as governors, a former Speaker of the House, people who have been successful in business. But a lot of them are not very well-known. And that’s what presidential nominating contests are about. And as I say, Barack Obama came from Nowheresville at this time to being president . . . I think the same thing can happen for us if the election is about Obama’s policies and the results of those policies. That’s the key for the 2012 campaign for Republicans.”

Barbour believes that the field of candidates will not be fully formed until the Fall. At that point, he wants Republicans to remember that “purity in politics is a loser, unity in politics is a winner.” And given that he believes Obamacare is making it hard for Americans to be hired and given that the government is “sucking trillions of dollars out of the economy,” Barbour seems confident that on the issues alone, the Republicans will have a good chance of beating Obama in 2012.

Watch the clip from CBS below:

(h/t Huffington Post)

2012, Bob Schieffer, Haley Barbour, Republicans

THE REAL ROYAL KING

Alabama?
Big Eddie

There are many excellent choices in Republican candidates . (Paul Ryan …come on in ) But it’s not looking too good for the Dems . Of course , Cynthia McKinney , John Edwards , Dennis Kucinich or Tweetmaster Weiner could challenge a hapless , weakened Obama .

“….how strong is the Democratic field?

At present, it consists of one man–Barack Obama–and the American people have had about enough of him. Yesterday’s Rasmussen survey found that likely voters prefer a generic Republican over President Obama by 45-43. And that is no fluke; the numbers have been in the same range for some months. Similarly, voters are slightly more likely to call themselves Republicans than Democrats.

It is not unreasonable to expect that a “generic” Republican whom voters do not yet know and who has no skeletons in his closet…”

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/06/029148.php
RhapsodyinBlue

Big Eddie said:
There are many excellent choices in Republican candidates . (Paul Ryan …come on in ) But it’s not looking too good for the Dems . Of course , Cynthia McKinney , John Edwards , Dennis Kucinich or Tweetmaster Weiner could challenge a hapless , weakened Obama .

“….how strong is the Democratic field?

At present, it consists of one man–Barack Obama–and the American people have had about enough of him.

Please, just stop, sanity begs you
http://www.ncac.org/ P.C. Commenter

This is a fine story .
timzank

November 2012 Headline “Ham Sandwich Defeats Obama Soundly”……

Worry all you want now about the nominee, it will not matter.
Universaltruth

Gov. Barbour: GOP Presidential Candidate May Be An Unknown Coming From Nowheresville.

aren’t they all?
Universaltruth

” Republican whom voters do not yet know and who has no skeletons in his closet…”

There is no such thing.
Universaltruth

Gov. Barbour: GOP Presidential Candidate May Be An Unknown Coming From Nowheresville.

Translation: The current and likely crop sucks
puck30

The pack is in a bunch and the Primaries & debates haven’t started yet. Was Obama into a clear lead with the Democrats at this point in 2007? Answer no.

I know some would like to beat their chest and say this crop sucks, let’s see what they say a year from now.
Thelonious Funk

At this point, FOX News should just start a show called Conservative Idol. Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and the ghost of Ronald Regan can be the judges.
Universaltruth

Puck,

This is just the game of politics. Like any pro sport, generally, only the last 2 minutes matter. This is all posturing and trash talk, but it is fun.
Helix

Wonder if Barbour saw this article from Nate Silverman on the NYT website:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/the-simple-case-for-taking-herman-cain-seriously/

Nate is a lefty pollster, but has a pretty good rep for honesty. Read down the page to the second poll for the meat. Basically Nate is saying that the more Repubs hear about Herman Cain, the more they like him. Right now Cain is in 5th place, but with more name recognition he could move to the front of the pack! Read it for yourself and be the judge.
Sheeeeeit

You go ahead on and run Boss Hogg. We’ll see how that works out for you.
mediadoubt

A cogent statement from Barbour. Are ‘Lican primary voters listening? We’ll see.
Just4thefax

Universaltruth said:
Gov. Barbour: GOP Presidential Candidate May Be An Unknown Coming From Nowheresville. Translation: The current and likely crop sucks

Fact: Why bring out your champion this early into the cycle when MSM would just pull out their joint Journalist group style reporting front again just to kill the real news coming from the podium.
THE REAL ROYAL KING

Just4thefax said:
Fact: Why bring out your champion this early into the cycle when MSM would just pull out their joint Journalist group style reporting front again just to kill the real news coming from the podium.

Vetting. If Gramps McCain had selected a vice-presidential candidate who had been subject to media scrutiny, he might well have won.
Just4thefax

THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
Vetting. If Gramps McCain had selected a vice-presidential candidate who had been subject to media scrutiny, he might well have won.

Fact: The GOP went with the McCain-Dole type ticket it was just a punt on the election nothing else. 2012 GOP should and better be in it to win it. No to Romney and no to Palin. I would rather stay home and save my gas than to waste my time.
Pablo

If Nowheresville is Georgia, he may be right.
THE REAL ROYAL KING

Just4thefax said:
THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
Vetting. If Gramps McCain had selected a vice-presidential candidate who had been subject to media scrutiny, he might well have won.

Fact: The GOP went with the McCain-Dole type ticket it was just a punt on the election nothing else. 2012 GOP should and better be in it to win it. No to Romney and no to Palin. I would rather stay home and save my gas than to waste my time.

I’m not entirely pleased with President Obama, for different reason that your displeasure, of course. I understand the attraction to staying home and not voting. I suspect we’ll both shake our heads and head to the polls.
X-3

If you get past the thick southern accent and not allow yourself to be caught up in whatever stereotype you have about those “poor old ignorant southerners” you may find that Governor Barbour is a fairly smart man…definitely worth listening to.
m_mayhem

Well we know it won’t be your racist ass Haley.